A social media troll named Parker Molloy drew criticism this week for celebrating the COVID-19 death of a Missouri man who suggested this year that those afraid of contracting the virus should stay home rather than forcing churches to shut their doors.
Molloy is not alone in behaving like a ghoul after the “right” sort of person died of COVID-19. In fact, we’ve all heard the joke about these people, and it’s pretty spot-on.
This actually has been one of the more grotesque and detestable trends of the coronavirus pandemic. Activists and even some journalists practically cheer whenever someone who questioned lockdowns or vaccines dies from the coronavirus.
In February, the Supreme Court ruled California’s ban on indoor church services was unconstitutional. Steve Walsh, who was married to Missouri state Rep. and U.S. Congressional candidate Sara Walsh, applauded the decision.
Pressed to answer how the court’s ruling is a win for those who wish to avoid contracting the virus, Walsh offered a simple solution.
“This decision allows people to attend church services,” he said on social media. “If you choose not to attend worship services for fear you will be one of the fraction of 1 percent of Americans who die from COVID you simply don’t have to attend. Problem solved. Good grief!”
On Thursday, Walsh’s wife announced he died from COVID-19. It is worth noting many people are dying from COVID-19, including those who mask up religiously and stay at home.
Molloy apparently knows better. The troll sprang into action, turning Walsh’s untimely passing into a morality tale with a punchline. This Twitter goblin tweeted side-by-side photos of Walsh’s remarks this year on the Supreme Court’s ruling and a news clipping announcing his death, using the “how it started/how it’s going” meme format.
This professional gremlin claimed later their since-deleted tweet was meant only highlight the importance of taking the virus seriously. Because nothing says, “I care deeply about health and public safety,” quite like hoisting up someone’s corpse for a joyous display.
If you find this story perverse, wait until you find out it’s part of a long-running trend. Members of the press and political activists have been making examples of the “bad” people who die from COVID-19 for as long as the virus has been in the United States.
In April of last year, a Virginia pastor who opposed lockdowns died of COVID-19. Before his death, he was known for having in-person services right up until the moment Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam barred gatherings of 10 or more. The pastor also said at one point before he passed, “God is larger than this dreaded virus,” which is hardly a controversial statement for a believer to make.
After he lost his battle to COVID-19, the press made an example of him, headlines uniformly highlighting his quote about God and the virus as if to say, “See where his superstition got him?”
Of course, he was still right about lockdowns, which haven’t helped, but that’s another matter.
Later, an Ohio man who criticized the pandemic lockdowns died of the virus. You had better believe the press was quick to make hay of his death, their headlines carefully highlighting the fact he dared to question the efficacy and wisdom of lockdowns.
After that, another Ohio man died of the virus. Before his death, he questioned the seriousness of the pandemic. In turning an obscure private citizen’s death into yet another national news story, reporters spelunked through his social media accounts, dredging up and publishing all his posts questioning the risks posed by the virus.
More recently, in July of this year, a 34-year-old man who once tweeted, “I got 99 problems but a vax ain’t one,” died after a battle with COVID-19 and pneumonia. The press wasted no time elevating his death into a national story, all reports carefully juxtaposing his death with his vaccine criticisms.
These reports are not meant to serve the public interest. They’re meant to serve as vindication for the self-righteous authors and editors who published them. They each carry with them the unmistakable whiff of “This is what you get!”
But boy, oh boy, does it get awkward when the vaccine-hesitant don’t belong to the right demographic groups. Then we get a lot of chin-stroking about how maybe some people have good reason to distrust vaccines, given how the government is very racist and all.
People such as Molloy know what they’re doing. They just don’t care. For them, this isn’t at all about public health. It’s about having an excuse to behave as wretchedly as they want toward their political targets.
